Blood and Heartache
by Katie Cipriano
Summary: It's only been a mere two weeks, but Sophia is struggling with Derek gone. Stiles is losing his mind and the Sheriff is having a hard time at work with Scott's father back in town. How will Sophia help the ones she cares about, as well as save herself? And will Derek and Sophia ever reconcile?
1. Chapter 1

I turn the key in the door, closing it temporarily. If everything had gone as planned I wouldn't have been able to walk through the door at this point – considering I'd be dead – but after becoming a werewolf it hasn't exactly been easy getting drunk. But with ten bottles of vodka I've managed as much, it just leaves my system before I'm ready to.

I lock the door behind me, and kick off my shoes. I've barely stepped onto the staircase as I hear a shriek from upstairs. A shriek that makes the hair on my arm rise, earning to rise higher. I run up the stairs, taking two at a time. I'm racing down the corridor, stopping before Stiles' open door. He's sitting on his bed, drenched in sweat and looking as if he'd seen Hell itself, and behind him with Stiles wrapped tightly in his arms is his father, rocking him gently back and forth, whispering 'it's okay, it's okay'. I lean on the doorframe, pressing my lips together. I'd like to say this is the first time this has ever happened, but it's been a recurring happening in this house for the past week. I'll be honest; it's freaking me out. And the worst part is that I can't help him, because I have no idea what's going on.

I just watch them until Stiles falls back asleep, and my uncle and I leave the room. He walks me to my bedroom, and I can tell from the circles under his eyes that he's not getting enough sleep.

'You should start using ear plugs,' I tell him, and he gives me one of those all-knowing, yet tired smiles.

'I can keep an eye on Stiles during the night – after all, I don't have a job I need to go to every morning.'

I watch his face, following the inner battle behind his exhausted eyes, before he sighs and I bite down on my bottom lip as a smile erupts. He nods, and I assure him he needs a good night's sleep, waving him back to his own bedroom. I close the door behind me, taking a deep breath as I walk over to my bed. I know that when I fall asleep, I'll simply endure my own nightmares. I'll be up again in a mere four hours.

* * *

I'm sitting with my legs crossed by the kitchen table, my hair hanging loosely around me in my natural curls that I have come to know so well over the past couple of weeks. Placed firmly between my hands is my third cup of coffee, and I haven't bothered with putting on more than my favourite t-shirt. It's dark green, it's all too big, and it's Derek's. I'd like to say I'm normal all that, that I've washed it a lot over the past two weeks. Truth is I haven't dared. I let him go, knowing I had to, but I wanted so badly to be selfish and ask him to stay. But he's gone, and this shirt is all I have left – and it still smells of him. I feel so pathetic at times, but then I feel so desperate that I can't make myself care. The only one who knows anything is Stiles. He hasn't told Scott, he promised me he hasn't, but I'm pretty sure he knows as well. The only thing Stiles told his dad was that 'it's complicated'. Definitely made him not want to have anything to do with it, thank god. Imagine the awkwardness.

I lift my head as Stiles comes into the kitchen, opening the fridge and sticking his head in.

'Bottom shelf to the right,' I say, taking a sip of my coffee.

'Huh? Oh! Thanks,' he grins as he grabs a plate I'd left for him with eggs and bacon. He puts it in the microwave to heat it up, before taking a seat opposite me. I'm staring into the dark liquid of my cup as I feel Stiles' touch, and I raise my gaze.

'You okay?' he asks, and I give a slight nod.

'I should be the one asking that question,' I say, clearing my throat. 'Stiles, what is going on with you?'

'I'm fine,' he says, flashing me a smile. Unfortunately he's a horrible liar. I give him a stern look as I cock my head to the side. He gets up and throws his backpack over his shoulder, taking the plate out of the microwave.

'Stiles–'

'I'll talk to you later!' he calls as he hurries towards the door.

'STILES–'

The door slams, and I groan inwardly. He might be a horrible liar, but he's good at avoiding you if he first realises you'll be asking questions. I pick up my phone, noticing a missed call from Peter. I sneer before ignoring it, trying to call Stiles. I quickly get voice mail instead, and it's clear he is trying to ignore _me_. I try him three times before giving up, putting my phone back down just as Uncle comes down as well.

'Thank you,' he sighs as he sees me, and I give him a welcoming smile. He'd done as I asked him to last night, and he'd slept through both of Stiles' wake-up screams. I tell him to sit down as I get up. I fill up his on–the –go mug with black coffee, no sugar, no cream. I also get out the lunch I prepared for him, and his relieved smile makes it all worthwhile. I walk him out to the car, and he makes me promise that I'll leave the house today. Of course I promise him, how can I not? If I'll keep it is entirely different.

Because I do as I always do when he's left: I go back inside, I turn on the TV and I wrap a blanket around me as I sit down on the couch. I don't know how many RomComs I've seen the past week, or how many episodes of Home and Away that I've endured. I know, it's not really that good but it's so extremely addictive, and it gets you emotionally invested. How can Romeo not tell Indi he's dying? How much can I hate Tamara and love Casey? I can even tell that the guy who plays Brax has got his hair cut since the last episode.

It's scary how easy you can invest all of yourself into something as meaningless as a TV show. Great coping mechanism, though. You get to not feel anything, and be entertained.

In the past half an hour Peter has called me fifteen times. I promised myself I'd keep an eye on him, and that promise keep nagging at the back of my mind. Like an itch I'm unable to catch – unless I actually pick up to hear what he has to say.

My phone lights up with Peter's name again, and this time I reach for it.

'What do you want?' I snap, pressing my lips together.

'Well look who finally decides to pick up. Ignoring me, are you?' he coos into the phone, making a growl form in the depth of my throat.

'Yes, I am,' I answer bluntly. 'Surprised?'

'Not really, but I need you to stop ignoring me. Meet me at Derek's loft in half an hour.'

'And why would I–'

I'm cut off by a bleeping sound, and I realised Peter's hung up on me. I grit my teeth together, knowing I have to go. I hurry up to my room, where I pull on sweatpants before going back downstairs to slip into a pair of extremely attractive UGGs. Winter or summer, they work whatever. After all, they were made for Australian guys to wear after surfing.

I grab my car keys and get into my little bubble, before taking the all too familiar drive to Derek's loft. As I get there, I kill the engine – and then I just sit there for a short time to gather myself. I haven't been here since the night I watched Derek drive off, and it feels weird being back. None the less I get out of my car and jog up the stairs. I walk towards the enormous door, grabbing the handle. Taking a deep breath I pull, and it opens slowly.

I'm about to take a step as two pair of eyes looks up at me. My breath catches in my throat, and Derek stands up. He looks so confused, and I feel my expression change from surprise, to angry, and then to fury.

Without a word I approach Derek, and as soon as I'm in arms reach I open my hands, spread my fingers and hit him as hard as I can manage across the face. He doesn't say anything, nor does he object. He's barely turned his face back to look at me, before I slap him again. I repeat a third time, before he speaks;

'Finished?'

I press my lips together as I take a deep breath through my nose.

'Good,' he says and I cross my arms over my chest. 'Now what are you doing here?'

'I called her, actually,' Peter says, finally making his appearance. Derek turns to him, but my gaze sticks to the youngest of the Hales.

'Why didn't _you_ call me?' I ask, and I notice his hard swallow. I feel my rage boil up again, and I release my claws.

'LOOK AT ME!' I shout, feeling my glowing Alpha Red. Derek's jaw tightens as he meets my gaze, his eyes glowing an ice cold blue. 'What's going on? And where's Cora?'

'I can't tell you either,' he answers, and I heave.

'Seriously?' I tighten my hands into fists, allowing the pain to subside my rage. 'You're going to shut me out? You do remember how much I love that.'

'Calm down, all right?' he says, grabbing my wrist and forcing me to spread my hands. 'I want to, but I can't. To tell you what's going on I have to tell you what's happened and doing so will but Cora in grave danger. Do you understand?'

I bite down on my lip, but I nod. There's still one thing ha hasn't answered…

'Why didn't _you_ call me?' I whisper, his hands still gripping my wrists.

'Why wasn't it your time popping up on my phone? Why wasn't it you who called me? Why wasn't it _you?_'

* * *

**A/N: Well so yeah, this is the first chapter. The first one is always the most difficult one! I'm already working on the second chapter as well. However, I've got all too much on my plate these upcoming weeks, but I promise I'll het the chapter done as soon as I can. So far I think the new series/season is very intriguing, and I loved this Mondays episode – especially the scene where Derek gives out candy! Gosh, I really loved that. Anyway, I hope to give you more as soon as possible! I promise a lot of my own twist and turns as well as what the show offers, hoping to keep you all on your toes.**


	2. Chapter 2

I feel a tear slip down my cheek and I look down. I pull my hands from his grip to dry it away.

'What happened to 'forgive and forget'?' he questions me and I lift my head slowly, giving him a look filled with utter betrayal. I press my lips together, my hands forming fists at my sides.

'What happened to 'it'll never happen again'?' I question back, his shocked expression giving me some comfort. Finally I hit home. Derek's jaw tightens further, and I take a deep breath, trying to collect myself. I look to Peter, ignoring Derek's stare. 'Why on earth are you missing a finger?' I ask, pushing my hair back from my face.

'That's a long story,' Peter answers and I move over to the table where Peter is sitting. 'But you're about to see Derek sow it back on.'

'Really?' I snort, turning to Derek. 'You can sow?'

Derek ignores my question, grabbing a chair and placing it opposite Peter. I glare at his back, crossing my arms as I stand where I am, just watching.

* * *

'Don't you have any anaesthetics?' Peter asks with his teeth gritted as Derek pulls the needle through his finger again. I thought this would be fun, but it's simply gross.

'Yep,' Derek answers, shifting his glance to Peter, who is clearly not too pleased with not being given any painkillers. I take out my phone to see if anyone's contacted me, but I don't even have a CandyCrush request from facebook. How depressing is that? I sigh as I put the phone back in my pocket, just as Derek finishes up with Peter.

'Are you at least going to tell me what I risked life – and digit – for?' Peter asks, gasping in pain as he retreats his hand.

'I'm going to show you,' Derek says. He looks to me, and my back stiffens. 'You, too,' he says, before taking something off of the floor and placing it on the table. It's some kind of cylinder, the top has the same mark as Derek's tattoo engraved into the metal. I think it's metal. He screws one way, before pulling it up the slightest and screwing it the other way. Gently he removes the lid and empties the cylinders contents on the table. I frown, having not expected what I got at all.

'After the fire, that was all that was left of her,' Derek says, and I realise why he's looking so sad. Suddenly I feel guilty for yelling at him – and oh, god I even slapped him…

'Talia,' Peter whispers, before his tone changes; 'I can't decide if that is touching or morbid.'

Derek gives him an exasperated look, and I pick up a claw.

'I guess the real question is what you're planning on doing with them,' Peter says, and I snort. 'Give her a manicure?' I suggest, getting doubled up on the exasperated look. I'm still grinning, finding my own joke too hilarious.

'I have to ask her something,' Derek says, and I arch an eyebrow. 'And from what I've heard, this is the only way possible.'

'I'd really like to know what the hell you've heard,' I mumble, putting the claw back down on the table. Talking to dead people isn't exactly my specialty.

Derek places the cylinder in front of Peter, who seems to realise something I don't as he looks at his hand.

'You've got to be kidding me,' Peter drawls, and Derek smiles.

'Why do you think I sowed your finger back on?' he asks, and I bite down on my thumb. Yeah, I still have no idea what's going on.

'You know there's always en element of danger in rituals like this,' Peter points out as Derek picks up the claws, putting them back into the cylinder box thing.

'I'm not particularly fond of them,' Peter continues, 'unless they somehow benefit me.'

Derek snorts a laugh, and I roll my eyes. These two are ridiculous together.

'What do you want?' Derek answers as I walk over to them, sitting down on my knees beside Derek. I'm not very fond of him right now, but I choose him over Peter any day. Even today.

'I want to keep them,' Peter answers, to which Derek responds with a deep frown. 'Sentimental value,' Peter explains, and I cringe. Sentimental value my ass.

'She was your mother, but she was also my sister,' Peter defends, and I arch an eyebrow. Derek arches his eyebrows as well.

'What?' Peter gasps, 'am I not allowed a little bit of sentiment?'

'You killed his sister,' I snap at Peter, and Derek gives an approving nod, before dropping the last claw into the cylinder. He shoves the cylinder over to Peter, smiling falsely. Peter rolls his shoulders back, looking to the box. He doesn't seem too pleased. He lifts his hand, letting it hover above the top of it. Derek gets to his feet, fixing his t-shirt as he stands with his back towards us for a little second, a second I use to steal his chair. He turns back, shaking his head slightly. His arms are crossed over his chest, and I bite down on my bottom lip. Have you ever hated someone you're extremely attracted to? Like, well… Have you seen Derek? Yes? Well then you know exactly what I'm talking about, because it is impossible not to find him attractive, and it is just as impossible to not rip his shirt off – especially when you have ripped off his shirt before and felt all those muscles and just – OFF TOPIC. We are so far off topic. Oh, God.

I rub my forehead slightly, hearing Derek's voice; 'Too long.'

'Nonononono, _wait_–' Peter gasps as Derek grabs his hand and presses it down, Peter's voice being cut off and his eyes glowing that cold, steel blue.

Peter stays still for a moment, before his eyes stops glowing and Derek releases his hand. I sit up straight as Derek comes over to me, grabbing my upper arm and hoisting me up. He takes the chair and turns it around, sitting down on it, leaning his arms on the back. Peter gets to his feet, and I take a couple of steps back to watch Derek's face. I know what's going to happen, and I know how much it hurts.

'Not exactly my colour,' Peter drawls as he looks down at his hand, and I roll my eyes at him. He starts to walk slowly over to Derek's tense back, the back of his neck completely exposed.

'This is going to be excruciatingly painful,' Peter continues, warning Derek about what he's doing.

'Just do it,' Derek answers, and I can sense the fear and anticipation in his voice. He's staring down, his eyes focused.

'Oh, I will,' Peter grins, lifting his hand, 'I just wanted you to know.'

With amazing speed Peter digs his/Talia's claws into Derek's neck, whom grits his teeth together, all of the veins in his neck showing as he tenses up completely.

* * *

I'm pacing back and forth Derek's tense body, his hands gripping the back of the chair. He's wearing a deep frown, making me even more curious. I'm also watching Peter struggling to keep standing. I've never been on this side of things before. Never been on the side where I'm not the one with my neck pierced by claws –even though it just happened once. Suddenly Peter retracts his hand, stumbling as he steps backward. Just as the claws leave Derek's exposed neck, he sits up straight and I stop my pace, staring at him. He's drenched in sweat, looking confused. I take a few steps closer as Peter does the same.

'Did you see her?' Peter asks, sounding out of breath. 'What did you ask her?'

'Are you okay?' I ask, noticing how his face angers.

'Did she say anything about me?' Peter asks, to which Derek's head snaps towards him, anger and hurt and confusion among the emotions written across his face.

'Well that doesn't look good,' Peter mumbles, and I notice Derek's shoulders slack and I bend down to slither an arm under his, laying his around my neck. He's dripping sweat, but I've been covered in worse. He looks at me, brows furrowed but I simply help him stand and walk him over to the bed where I sit him down. He looks absolutely exhausted as I straighten up and his eyes follow me. I bite down on my bottom lip as I turn my back on him, and walk to the exit. I pass Peter, whose eyes seem to follow me as well. I push the door open just enough for me to slip out, before slipping quickly to the side. I pull off the shirt and stick my hand through the small gap, dropping the shirt and hurrying down the stairs.

* * *

**A/N: I have a very horrible reason for this chapter being late; I started chapter 3 first... Yeah, I know; stupid. But yeah, chapter 3 needs a little bit of touching up but it will be published within a couple of days. Anyway; Sophia's first encounter with Derek... How'd you think it went? **


	3. Chapter 3

I place my hand on the boxing bag, slowing down its movement before attacking it again. Sweat is running down all parts of my body, but I continue to attack the bag over and over.

'I pity that poor bag. What did it ever do to you?' I hear Peter's voice ask, but I keep my focus on the boxing bag, giving it a right blow.

'What are you doing here?' I ask through heaving breaths, calming myself before a new round. Derek left several hours ago and it wasn't like Peter lived here with him. He'd left quite forcefully when Derek kicked him out after his little 'vision' that he refused to speak about. I'd stayed, trying to pry information out of him but Derek being Derek hadn't let anything on. It was like being back to the start – him as the big bad wolf with his secrets, and me feeling helpless. Except this time I was also carrying a broken heart in my chest, making my anger towards him ten times worse than it was when he was simply shutting me out. That is the reason for this lovely boxing bag in front of me, which I knew Derek had stashed somewhere before he left. He had offered me to come with him to stalk Scott, but I honestly couldn't see myself spend en entire day in a car with him without my bloody fist and his handsome face meeting – and possibly more than once.

So I'd stayed put to let my anger out on this boxing bag, but of course Peter has to come and be his uninvited self.

'Thought I'd pay Derek a visit,' Peter drawls, and bring my knee up to hit the bag before my ankle attacks it.

'Derek's not here,' I tell him, bringing my hands up to my face to get ready for another blow.

'Yet you are,' Peter moulders out loud and I stop in my tracks, turning to him.

'Why is that? You all alone in Derek's loft…' His eyebrows lifts up and I press my lips together. 'Careful, or you're going to be my new punching bag.'

'You've always been feisty,' Peter continues to drawl, and my eyes narrow. 'Even when you were human taking on a werewolf.'

'Muscles isn't everything,' I tell him, crossing my arms. 'I'm smart, and I can easily outsmart almost everyone in this little pack-gang-thing.'

'_Almost_ everyone,' Peter agrees, and I purse my lips. I know what he means – he thinks he's smarter than me. Truth? He probably is, but I'll never admit it out loud. Certainly not to Peter.

I push some hair out of my face, not letting any emotion show on my face.

'As we've already come up with; Derek's not here, so you are very welcome to leave.'

I return my attention to the boxing bag, but my shrieking phone interrupts. I walk over to the table and pick up the phone, Derek's name flashing on it.

'A day too late,' I murmur before declining his call and putting the phone back, turning to Peter.

'I'm here because this is the only place I can be alone, and because it's the only place I won't have to pay to punch something,' I tell Peter, lifting my chin to show him he can't crawl under my skin. I'm not the little girl he manipulated to allow being bitten. I press my lips together and I pierce him with my gaze.

'Now will you leave me alone or will I have to throw you through the window?'

Peter holds up his hands as he backs towards the door. 'Enjoy the loneliness,' he drawls and I snort.

'Coming from you? Gladly.'

I'm drenched in sweat as the heavy metal door is once again pulled open, and I groan as I swipe the back of my hand across my forehead. I haven't bothered with keeping it light, so I manage to sneak behind the staircase to hide. I quickly spot to identical shadows, and I hear Danny's voice.

'Where did you say the guy was, who lives here?' Danny asked, and I frowned.

'He's out of town,' Aiden answers, grinning. I follow Ethan with my eyes as he walks onto the terrace with some machine. He puts it down and seconds later a loud roar can be heard, and Ethan gives them a thumbs up.

Aiden flips on a rave light, and Danny's lips form an exceptional grin.

'Oh yeah,' he nods, looking around. I press my lips together as I realise Derek is going to be furious when he finds out – and my smile becomes as wicked as Danny's.

I manage to sneak out and take my car back home, where I take a cold shower and change into the tightest pair of denim shorts I own which does wonders for my bum, and studded bra I bought last week for some unknown reason. I let my hair stay down, pulling it over my shoulder. Simple make-up is the best, knowing I will probably get a lot of body paint all over me.

I grab a hoodie and pull it on, zipping it up all the way to hide my tummy. I hurry outside, slipping on my Jeffrey Campbell's at the bottom of the stairs before I get back out in my car. I take a deep breath, before I back out and drive back to Derek's loft, hoping there's enough alcohol to get even me drunk.

Blue, orange and green have become my colours of the night. And with enough alcohol flowing in my blood and buzzing and I have no control – and I love it.

I try to focus on something around me, but when I'm unable I can't help but smile.

I react as I hear a crash, and I stumble around. Suddenly the music is cut off I try I fall to the floor as I try to find out where the music comes from. I look up, recognising Derek's furious expression. I can't help but giggle.

'GET OUT!' he shouts, putting just a bit of werewolfy powers into his tone to make them all frightened.

Everyone starts to run, but I stay on the floor, laughing. I look up, Derek's face hovering above me.

'You're pissed off,' I grin and he sighs, his shoulders tense.

'And you're pissed,' he answers, grabbing my forearm as he lifts me up on my feet, keeping an arm around my waist to keep me in balance. I try to push him away, but I'm not even slightly successful.

I notice some dark shapes, and I immediately know they're not human.

'Guys,' Aiden murmurs as the shapes turn to him. 'They're all looking at me.'

The shapes take another step forward, and I press my lips together so hard my bottom lips splits.

'Why are they all looking at me?' Aiden asks, sounding more than a little panicked.

I notice how no one seems to react, and not thinking about my horrible balance or my lack of focusing eyesight, I launch at one of the shapes, Derek and Scott following my lead. I claw goes right through it, and it kicks me in the stomach, and I go through the window and smack my back into the terrace. That hurt more than I'd like to. I try to stand up as I watch Derek and Scott standing no chance, but my head is spinning so hard I fall back down.

After both Derek and Scott are defeated, Isaac makes a move but is abruptly stopped when the shape draws a sword out of its own body. Isaac quickly back down, and I watch in horror as the shapes grab Aiden, mobilising him, before he falls to the ground.

Then they turn on Scott, but as they do the sun rises and they evaporate. Ethan runs over to Aiden as I managed to crawl up on my knees, Derek helping me stand.

'What the hell were those things?' Scott asks, sounding out of breath. I notice a new Asian girl standing beside him. Who the hell is she?

I press my lips together, trying to make my mind work.

'Your dad's 24 hours are up,' Isaac says, turning to Allison.

Derek walks me over to his bed, sitting me down. He hands me a bottle of water, piercing me with his gaze. 'Drink it,' he orders, and I sigh as I uncap the bottle, taking a swing of it. He walks back to Scott and the twins as I stay on the bed.

I look up as I see something move in the corner of my eye, and I notice the Asian girl staring at me.

'What's your name?' I ask, narrowing my eyes at her. She fiddles with the sleeves of her jumper before mumbling, 'Kira.'

I nod, taking another swing of the water bottle.

'Sophia,' I tell her, and she smiles. She wraps her arms around her waist, making me snicker. I recognise the gesture all too well. Kira looks at me with a puzzled gaze, but I just smile at her, before I look up to see Derek approaching again. I hold up the water bottle and drink from it. But he's still approaching.

I frown as he crouches before me, taking my chin between his fingers.

'Flash,' he says, and my frown deepens.

'Gladly, but preferably in private,' I answer, making him roll his eyes. I notice Kira gaping at me.

'Your eyes,' Derek sighs, 'flash your eyes for me.'

I try to flash my eyes red, but I realise I can't. Derek nods, and I stare down at him.

'Why–'

'You're too drunk,' he answers me and I pout. 'How much did you actually drink?'

'Three bottles of white wine, one bottle of red white, four bottles of mojito, a bottle of Mickey Finn, and some beer.'

'That would make even the strongest werewolf drunk,' Derek mumbles and I shrug. 'I've had two weeks to figure out how much I need to get drunk,' I tell him, and his eyes shoots up to me, his gaze disturbed. I hold my emotionless gaze, and Derek gets up to his feet.

'Drink that up, and I'll go get you a new one,' he says, briskly walking away.

I turn to Kira who looks absolutely frozen.

'How are you not dead?' she asks and I sigh, falling back on the bed.

'I'm a werewolf, we need a lot of alcohol to get even remotely drunk.'

'Okay,' he murmurs, frowning a little bit.

'And who is he?'

'That is Derek Hale,' I tell her, propping up on my elbows. 'He used to be an omega, then he became an Alpha and now I have no clue. We haven't spoken in a while.'

'Two weeks?' she guesses and I purse my lips.

'What happened?' she asks and I gesture for her to sit down next to me on the bed. She obeys and I drink some more water.

'He left town, and no one knew if he was ever coming back. Yesterday I found out he was back – and it was his uncle who was the one to tell me, and not him. You see, we've got quite the rocky history. Not long ago, I was human. I met Derek and Scott when I moved here to live with my cousin, Stiles. You met him?'

Kira nods and I give her a thumbs up.

'Well, what can I say? Derek is more than a little attractive, he's charismatic, magnetic–'

'Isn't that a Lana Del Ray song?' Kira asks and I brush her off.

'Whatever. We started briefly dating, but he cheated. I forgave him, but when he cheated again we broke up. He has problems with being spontaneous and not smart. Anyway, I got shot and died in his arms. But I didn't really die, because I'd got bitten and so when I woke up several days later I was a werewolf. Problem was my funeral had already been held, so I left town only to come back a few months later as deaths started to happen here and I was worried. Derek wasn't exactly happy to find out I wasn't dead, neither was anyone else. I had to hide a lot, because my uncle still thought I was dead. I also now worked for the bad guys, which included those twins over there, and we – meaning Ethan and Aiden – killed this guy named Boyd which was one of Derek's betas, so Derek didn't really trust me anymore, so he started to turn to this other woman, _Jennifer._ She was bad news and I tried to warn him, but of course he didn't listen so after he supposedly died he fucked her and I was more than a little pissed off. Anyway, turns out I was right as she turned out to be a crazy serial killer who sacrificed people to gain power, so we killed her. And then Derek left and I didn't really know how I felt but I figured I had enough time to grieve and then sort out my feelings and then move on but you can't do that in _two bloody weeks_.'

I'm breathing heavily through my nose, feeling Kira's evident stare. I downed the rest of the water bottle, frowning slightly.

'Why am I telling you all this?' I ask, turning towards the tiny girl. She shrugs, blushing slightly.

'I don't know,' she mumbles, 'maybe too much alcohol?'

I press my lips together, nodding.

'Probably,' I agree, falling back on the bed again. 'Probably…'

I close my eyes as I feel a hand on my shoulder, but before it gets a chance to stop me I fall unconscious.

I wake up abruptly as I hear something break not too far away. I'm heaving for breath, my eyes searching my surroundings. I find Derek's familiar gaze – he's cleaning. I push myself off the bed as his attention ships back to the broken lamp, picking up the pieces. I walk around, remembering the wild party that had been only a few hours ago – I think. I don't know how long I've slept for. He hasn't gotten to turn off the UV lights, though, making my body glow.

I notice the paint hasn't been removed and a mischievous smile erupts. I grab the brush belonging to the blue, yellow and red paint and sneak up on the crouching Derek from behind. I tug on his shirt and he stops what he's doing.

'What?' he asks, clearly confused.

'Take it off,' I order and there's a brief silence.

'Why?'

'Because I said so,' I groan, pulling it up. Derek grabs the hem and pulls it the rest of the day over his head, but stays in the same position. I take the blue brush and follow one of the arms of his tattoo, doing the same with the red and the yellow. Then I take the red brush and scribble something on his back. I take the brushes and walk back over to the paint table, and Derek rises. He finds a mirror, turning to see what I did to his back. I watch him closely.

I detect a small smile when he notices what I did to his tattoo, but his face shifts when he notices my scribble – _I'm a heartbreaker._

His gaze lifts to meet mine, and I feel my whole demure falling apart.

'Forgive and forget isn't real,' I tell him and he presses his lips together.

'I could never forget what you did to me. You took a step too far for that,' I say, my voice trembling as I try to keep my feelings at bay. 'And for even a chance at forgiveness… Two weeks was _not enough_. It's still too fresh – all of it. You chose to turn to her. You chose to push me away. I can't ever forget that, and I most certainly can't forgive it. I will always hold a grudge, because _you knew how much I'd been through_. _You knew how many people had hurt me, __**you knew!**_ How do you expect me to turn to you again after all you've ever done is show me I can't trust you?'

My chest is rising and falling quickly, my tears misshaping the paint on my face.

'You keep apologising, but you've never actually shown me that you ever were sorry – for any of it.'

My whole body is shaking as I release all the feelings I've been holding in ever since the first time he broke my trust. I guess alcohol really is a truth-serum.

'This time you don't get to apologise. This time you get to hear how badly you've hurt me, and you don't get a say in any of it because _it's all your fault_. How many times have you broken my heart, only for me to take you back because I love you too much? If anything, you've abused me more than Deucalion ever did.'

Derek's eyes widen at my comment, and I see how his whole posture changes. His shoulders sag, his arms folding behind his head.

'Because I loved you, and you broke my heart over and over again, knowing exactly what you were doing. But this time you've broken my heart one too many times, and we're through. I've had enough – I deserve someone who treats me well, and no matter how much I wish that was you it's not.'

_I run down the escalator stairs._

_I watch as Scott manages to crawl to them, slashing Ennis' calf, making him lose his footing._

_He's swaying off the edge now, but he's still holding on to Derek._

_And then as Ennis falls off, he drags Derek with him._

'_NO!' I shriek, sprinting towards the edge. 'DEREK!'_

_I feel a pair of arms wrap around my waist as I'm at the edge, holding me back. I fight, watching as Derek falls._

'_DEREK!' I shriek, feeling the wet damp on my cheeks._

'_DEREK!'_

_I feel the strong arms drag me away, but I'm stronger. I push away, stopping at the edge. I look down, seeing Derek lying on broken escalator. He's not moving._

I'm on my knees, gasping for breath as tears stream down my face. Derek's arms are wrapped around me. I don't know how I got here, but my chest hurts so badly from the lack of oxygen. I'm clawing at the exposed skin of my chest, trying to force myself to breathe.

'_I'm so sorry,' he mumbles, but I shake my head._

'_We both have so much to apologise for, it's easier to just forgive and forget.'_

'_Forgive and forget,' he agrees, before capturing my lips with his once more. I wish it could last forever but I know it can't. I pull away from him slowly, looking up at him through my lashes._

'_Goodbye.'_

'It was supposed to be goodbye,' I sob, my whole body shaking. My head is resting on Derek's heaving chest, my face wet with salty tears.

'You were supposed to leave and be gone. You weren't supposed to come back. I was supposed to get my life back on track… Why did you have to come back? Why couldn't you just have stayed away? Why couldn't you just let me be happy?'

I'm still gasping for breath in between sobs, my throat sore. My chest is burning.

'I hate you… I hate you so much…'

* * *

**A/N: So hard, cold-faced Sophia finally broke... Alcohol is a dangerous thing! What do you guys think? Do you think Sophia is right to feel the way she is? Should she forgive him, or do you think he's gone too far? AND what do you think is going to happen next after this little rant?**


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sitting on the sidewalk in skin tight jeans and my dark grey Ramones tee. I've pulled my hair up in a tight ponytail simply because it didn't want to collaborate today. An hour ago Derek woke me up, telling me to get out of bed, which confused me at first because I could not for the life of me remember that I'd gone home last night. It's safe to say I've _never_ been so drunk as I was last night ever before.

Derek's car stops right in front of me, and I stand up, pushing my sunglasses up my nose. I open the door and climb in. Derek's casually dressed in pale blue jeans and a black, buttoned down sweater that fits his body perfectly, showing off his muscled physic. I'm happy that it's sunny outside, gives me a reason to wear sunglasses except for the part where I'm extremely hung over. I fasten my seatbelt and turn off the radio as Derek drives back onto the road. The only thing I can remember from last night is being beaten by demonic ninjas, ranting to an Asian girl and crying. I have no idea exactly what I cried about, but it's not hard to guess. I'm also pretty sure Derek was present for my little show, which just makes me cringe even more. So much for seeming unfazed…

'Can you stop by _Beacon Coffee and Tea_, please?' I ask, rubbing my temples. Derek simply nods and I slump back into my seat, continuing to rub my temples. The way to BCaT isn't far, and it takes only minutes by car. Derek kills the engine and I tell him to stay in the car before I quickly exit.

As I enter the small space, Jamie grins. He turns to the coffee machine, and I know he gets to work on my daily dose of Caramel Macchiato. It's what I've ordered five times a day, every day, for the last two weeks. I walk up to the counter and lean on it, pressing my forehead against my palms.

'Good night?' Jamie smirks, his red hair hanging in his eyes. I groan, proceeding to cover my face with my hands.

'I have no idea how I got home,' I sigh, and Jamie laughs. He changes the topic as he hands me the coffee and I give him the money.

'You didn't come in yesterday.'

'No,' I agree, taking a sip. 'Something came up…'

Jamie arches an eyebrow and I sigh. 'More like some_one_, actually. Someone like my ex…'

'Thought you said he left town,' Jamie points out and I shrug. 'I thought so, too, until I… Until I bumped into him yesterday.'

'Ouch,' he grimaces and I snort. 'Tell me about it.'

'So exactly who is this ex of yours?' Jamie asks, clearly curious. 'You've told a lot of stuff about him, but you never told me who he is. Small town…'

'You definitely know who he is, which is why I'm not giving you his name. All I'm saying is that he's a jerk, and he deserves a real kick in the balls.'

'I'd love to do the honour,' Jamie grins and I laugh. The thought of tiny Jamie taking on Derek is hilarious. 'Thank you,' I say, giving him a genuine smile. Jamie is the reason I haven't been completely isolated. He's made me smile; he's made me laugh. He's been extremely kind, and I owe him my sanity.

I hear the door bell announce a new customer, and Jamie straightens up. 'How may I help you?' he asks, and I smile at his slightly scared expression.

'Sophia,' I hear Derek say, and I realise why Jamie looks like he's about to shit his pants. I turn around, coffee in hand. 'Yes, Derek, what do you want?' I ask, still leaning on the counter with my elbows.

He arches a single eyebrow at me, before taking a deep breath. He turns his gaze to Jamie, approaching the counter.

'Can I have a simple black coffee?' he asks, and Jamie nods before quickly getting to work on Derek's coffee.

'Thought I told you to wait in the car,' I told him, taking another sip of my coffee and I stand up straight. Derek looks down at me over his nose.

'Felt like a coffee myself,' he says and I narrow my eyes at him. Jamie returns with Derek's coffee, and Derek's hands in a five-dollar-bill.

'Keep the change,' he tells Jamie, who nods in appreciation.

Jamie turns to me; 'Is he–'

'Yes.'

'Then I take it back.'

'Understandable,' I smile, giving Jamie a pat on the arm before walking out. Soon after Derek exits as well, opening the car and I quickly climb inside. I put on my seatbelt, and I lean against the window. Derek climbs into the car as well, and without a word he starts it and drives to Scott's house, parking a few metres away.

'What are we doing here?' I ask, unbuckling myself.

'Keeping a look-out,' he answers, taking a sip of his own coffee.

'For what?'

'For demonic ninjas.'

'Why?'

'Because last night they looked at Scott like he was next,' Derek says, touching something behind his ear.

I just nod, taking a sip of my coffee and pressing my knees up under my chin, wrapping my arms around them. 'So how long are we going to be here?'

'A while.'

'Great…'

* * *

I let my hair hang around my face, shielding it. The cars engine is turned off, and silence has been buzzing in my ears for the past two hours. My fingers are fiddling together, as I can't seem to stop them.

'I can see them, you know,' Derek says, breaking the silence. I look up at him through my locks. 'What?'

'You're fiddling. You always do that when you're nervous.'

I stop fiddling, changing my seating position. 'What happened last night?' I ask, turning to look at him.

'We… _you_ talked.' His answer is as vague as they get, but Derek's rarely ever vague. Which simply means I told him a lot of things – things I would only tell him if I was drunk.

'What did I say?' I ask, biting down on my bottom lip.

Derek looks at me, and I meet his eyes. 'I think you know,' he answers, and I look down in my lap, nodding.

'At least now you know how I feel,' I mumble, and Derek gives a slow nod in respond.

'I just want to tell you that I know I screwed up, badly, and–'

'I can't talk about this yet,' I interrupt him, lifting my head and looking at him. 'I need more time.'

Derek presses his lips together and gives a curt nod, moving his gaze back to the house.

I lean my head against the window, letting the cool glass calm me down. I press my palm against my forehead, wanting to be anywhere than here.

Suddenly Derek exits the car, and I hurry after him. We run towards the house, and Derek pushes a door open, sliding in.

Even on impulse he has the best entrances. Me? I come running in, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. A black shape raises a samurai sword, and Derek charges for it, leaving me speechless.

'Mum, the Ash!' Scott shouts, and I duck as a demon charges at me. I'm slightly distracted as the twins comes crashing through a window.

'What the hell is going on?' I scream, but the only answer I get is a sword slashed in my leg. I yelp in pain as I crumble to my knees, only now realising how sharp those blades are.

'Mum, _now!_' Scott shouts, 'do it _now!_'

Derek grabs the dark shape above me, kneeing it in the stomach before pushing it away. He manages to grab hold of it, forcing it out the door. Melissa hurries after him, holding something in her hand. As Derek pushes the demonic ninja out of the door, Melissa throws the glass of what I assume is mountain ash at the frame of the door on the floor. Everyone's holding their breath as the demons stand on the other side of the line. The Asian girl I remember ranting to slowly approaches the line, lifting her hand to demon, but her hand is stopped by the invisible shield of the mountain ash. She carefully looks up at the twins, who're pinning her with suspicious glares. Derek helps me to my feet, and I lean on him for support.

'You okay?' he asks, and I balance on my good leg.

'Yeah, just happy that thing didn't chop my leg all the way off.'

Derek helps me over to the sofa where I sit down to examine my wound while Derek walks over to join Scott by the doorframe.

'All the baseboards are Ashwood?' Derek asks and Scott nods, seeming more than a little tense.

'Yeah, it was Deaton's idea,' he says, before his expression grows slightly annoyed, 'where the Hell did you come from?'

'I've been following you,' Derek answers as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

'For how long?' Scott puzzles, and Derek shrugs; 'all day.'

I'm not even going to correct him and tell everyone we went for coffee together – or that I've been spending the last three hours in Derek's car with him. I don't think he'd want that, either. For the first time I'm keeping my private life private, even keeping it from my closest friends.'

Derek walks back to me, crouching before me as I hear Melissa call for Scott.

'It's not healing as fast as normally, but I think that's because this isn't a cut from any ordinary blade,' I tell him, and he looks at my wound.

Derek hands me a pillow to press against my wound, before he gets up and leaves again – this time he goes into the room next door.

'She's a kitsune, idiots,' Derek drawls, and I force myself up to follow him. I heard Aiden asking Kira, which apparently is her name, what she was. Clearly the girl has no clue herself.

'Use your eyes,' Derek tells the twins, 'you can see it all around her.'

'The younger ones give off an aura,' I say, leaning against the doorframe. It makes me seem relaxed and not bothered, even though my leg is aching horribly.

'And she hasn't learned how to conceal it yet,' Derek continues.

'She probably doesn't even know what kind she is, either,' I say, loving this side of Derek – the smart and intelligent Derek. He's rarely around.

I notice Scott coming up beside me, and I see him gesture for Kira to come with him – which she gladly does. Derek turns to look at me, and I give him a brief nod to tell him I'm all right. It's strange, no matter how hurt and pissed off I am, I still care for him, and he might keep me at bay but he still cares for me, too. That's one thing I hope never goes away.

'Wasn't gonna hurt her,' Aiden says, and Derek keeps his eyes on me.

'Not yet,' he says, and Aiden sighs as he shakes his head.

'Why do you think we're here, Derek? For study group? We're here to protect Scott.'

'We're trying to fight for him,' Ethan adds, and Derek keeps his gaze on me, and I keep mine on him. I know what he's feeling, and I know his grunge against me is bubbling right now, but I'm not looking away.

'I'm sure you are,' Derek drawls, 'I'm sure you'd kill for him.'

I try to calm him down with a simply look, but that's when Derek turns away – turns to look at the twins.

'But are you willing to die for him?'

The twins look to each other, seeming speechless.

I stumble forward, but I'm shaken off my feet as the whole house rumbles.

'The Hell?' I groan, pressing my hand against my leg.

'What are they doing?' Scott asks as he enters the room. I push myself up, standing on my wounded leg with gritted teeth. At least it's stopped bleeding.

'Testing for weaknesses,' Ethan answers, watching the ninjas intently. They keep attacking the invisible shield separating us, before one of them pierces it with his sword.

The other one presses his hand against it, and everyone starts to grow nervous.

'Guys,' Ethan calls, 'we've a problem.'

'They're breaking the shield.' I'm basically saying what everyone's dreading. I walk closer to the shield, and when I stop I'm a mere few inches away from it.

I hear someone pressing buttons on a phone, and Scott's voice follows quickly after.

'Allison, please me that you have something. They're here, they're trying to get in and it looks like they're gonna be able to.'

'Nogitsune,' Scott murmurs, and I frown.

_Nogitsune... Nogitsune… Nogitsune… Where have I read that before?_

'Tell me what else!' Scott pleads.

I feel someone grab my arm, pulling me back. I'm pressed up against Derek's heavig chest.

'… all they're looking for is the Nogitsune.'

Scott hangs up on Allison and Kira looks to Scott. 'I'm right, aren't I?' Kira asks him. 'They're looking for me.'

'They're looking for a dark spirit,' Scott says, 'and I know it's not you.'

'Scott, you're gonna have to do _something_,' Derek yells, and I move from him, balancing myself on my good leg so that I can stand beside him instead. I'm _not_ helpless, and if there's going to be a fight I want to fight as well.

The ninjas break the shield, stepping inside.

'Don't do anything,' Scott says, and they all turn to him with ludicrous looks.

'Is he serious?' Aiden snaps as they come closer.

'I said don't do anything,' Scott repeats, and I press my lips together.

'Just listen to him,' I say, standing straight as I balance on my leg.

Scott offers Kira his hand, and reluctantly she accepts.

'Trust me,' he tells her, and together they walk up to the masked shapes. They grab a hold of the two teenagers, their eyes glowing yellow. Then, with a finger that make a mark behind both Scott and Kira's ear, and they both fall to the ground. I hold Ethan back as Derek grabs a hold of Aiden's jacket to keep him back as well. The two teenagers fall to the floor as they both glance my way – and disappear.

I collapse to the floor as the three boys run over to Scott and Kira. All I can see are those yellow eyes staring right into my soul, and I can't stop shaking.

_The Nogitsune_.

I remember. I remember picking up a book on Japanese folklore – and I remember my eyes scanning the pages to gain as much knowledge as they possibly could. I can't help as my breath catches in my throat.

This isn't good... This is not good.

* * *

**A/N: This was probably the hardest chapter to write if I'm being honest. The episodes are so complicated now and I am definitely put to the test when it comes to following them like I've done before, but I hope I'm doing a decent enough job for you guys. I'm working on chapter 5 right now, and it'll be up by next week some time.**


	5. Chapter 5

I groan as I turn over in my bed. I hear footsteps, but they're not my uncle's. I've memorised his footsteps. These footsteps I can't remember.

I push my duvet off and climb out of bed. I'm not wearing anything but a white men's shirt that I bought for the purpose of using it to sleep in. I' recommending it.

I quietly open my door and peek out in the hallway. I notice the door to Stiles' room having been left open, but there were two pairs of footsteps, and neither belonged to Stiles.

I hurry down the hallway and push the door to Stiles' room open, only to find Lydia and Aiden turning to stare at me.

'The Hell?' I ask, gesturing towards them with my arms. 'What are you two doing here?'

'Looking for Stiles, where is he?' Lydia ushers, and I narrow my eyes at her, before looking past her to Stiles' bed.

'I don't know,' I answer her, 'I didn't hear him leave unlike I heard you two come in.'

I cross my arms over my chest, eyeing them both. 'Now tell me what's going on.'

'I think Stiles is in trouble,' Lydia answers bluntly, and I feel my heart tighten in my chest.

I open my mouth to ask her another question when the door slams into my back, making me stumble forward. Scott and Isaac are now standing in the doorway.

'How did you know– did he call you, too?' Scott asks, clearly in a state of panic.

'I heard it,' Lydia answers, and I follow their conversation intently.

'Don't ask,' Aiden warns, 'it gets more confusing when you ask.'

'Not as confusing as this,' Lydia sighs, turning towards Stiles' bed, which has been stabbed with a fork. A fork with too many red strings to count.

'He used red for unsolved cases,' I murmur, rubbing my forehead.

'Maybe he thinks he's part of an unsolved case,' Aiden offers.

'Or _is_ an unsolved case,' Isaac adds, and his comments gives me goosebumps. It's definitely the one that makes the most sense, considering Stiles' latest state of mind.

'Hold on,' Lydia says, 'is he still out there?'

'You don't know where he is?' I frown.

'He sais he's in an industrial basement somewhere,' Scott says, and I rub my eyes with the back of my hand.

'We came here to get a better scent,' Isaac explains.

'What else did he say?' Lydia asks, seeming desperate to gain as much knowledge as possible.

'Something is wrong with his leg. It's bleeding,' Scott continues, and I feel my panic level rise.

'Oh my god…'

'And he's freezing,' Isaac adds, making me cover my face with my hands.

'Tonight is the coldest day of the year,' says Aiden, making goosebumps erupt all over my skin. 'It's going to drop below 20s.'

'What did his dad say?' Lydia sighs, pursing her lips.

'We kind of didn't tell him yet,' Scott mutters, and I remove my hands to glare at him.

''Stiles is bleeding and freezing and you didn't call his dad?' Lydia snaps, and I must say I agree with her.

'He made me promise not to,' Scott insists, 'we can find him by scent! If he was sleep walking he couldn't have gotten far, right?'

'You guys didn't notice he's Jeep is gone, did you?' asks Aiden, and I push some hair out of my face.

'You might have promised not to call his dad, but I didn't,' Lydia sneers, taking out her phone, but Scott stops her.

'I can get more help,' Scott says,' Sophia's probably going to help, and I can call Derek and Allison–'

'_Everyone_ except for the cops. Great idea!'

'You guys remember she only gets this feeling when someone is about to die, right?' Aiden points out, not helping my growing frustration.

'You don't have to call his dad,' Scott sighs, 'it's only five minutes to the station.'

He turns to leave with Isaac, and Lydia stops Aiden from joining.

'We'll catch up,' she says, making Scott frown.

'Why?' I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.

'There is _something_ here,' Lydia insists, making Isaac snicker. 'Yeah, evidence of total insanity.'

I shoot him a death glare, making him bow slightly.

Scott and Isaac leave, and I hurry back to my room to change. I pull on a simple pair of jeans and a jumper, before I manage to get my phone, dialling Derek with shaky fingers.

'Sophia?' Derek answer, sounding more than a little surprised to hear from me. His voice is also extremely groggy, and I know I've just woken him up.

'Stiles is missing,' I say, hearing the panic in my own voice. 'He called Scott. He's bleeding and freezing. Derek, we need your help. _I_ need your help.'

* * *

I cross my arms over my chest as the cold wind wraps around me like a blanket.

Derek walks over to a small area that's got the sign 'DANGER! HIGH VOLTAGE!' on the fence surrounding it. I turn around as I hear the door open, and Isaac and Scott comes into view.

'He's not here,' Derek says, 'not anymore.'

'You mean the whole building?' Scott asks, sounding slightly out of breath.

'Gone,' Derek confirms, and I can just see his jaw tense slightly. He's worried.

'I'll go tell Stilinski,' Isaac says and Scott turns to him.

'Also, see if you can find Allison, she's not answering her phone.'

Isaac nods before disappearing out the door he and Scott entered through just moments before.

Scott walks up to Derek and me, and I can honestly say I've never seen him so distraught.

'Notice how strong his scent is up here?' Derek says, looking a lot calmer and collected than Scott. 'Ever heard of chemo signals?' he asks, turning to Scott who seems all too flustered to think properly.

'Chemical signals,' I tell him, rubbing Scott's arm. 'They communicate emotion, and it can give off anger, fear, disgust…'

Scott looks at me and nods, looking slightly glad for having been filled in.

'Close your eyes,' Derek orders, 'and tell me what you feel.'

Scott applies, closing his eyes and concentrating. Slowly he opens his eyes, looking confused.

'Stress,' he answers, and Derek nods.

'Anxiety,' he adds, sounding quite thoughtful himself.

'But what was he doing up here?' Scott questions, but Derek simply shrugs.

'I don't know,' he answers truthfully, 'but there's been some kind of struggle up here.'

'With who?' Scott asks, his expression growing worried as he turns to Derek.

'Himself,' I mumble, just as Derek says the same just loud enough to make my comment disappear into the dark.

Stiles is fighting himself for something important, and I can't figure out what…

God, I hate this. I rub my temples, trying to make my head work, but it's useless.

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I jump back, gasping for air. Derek's calm eyes find my scared ones, and he holds up his hands. I look around, noticing Scott's gone.

'Scott is staying by the sheriff,' Derek explains, and I nod as I force myself to breathe.

'I'm going to check the high school, do you want to come with or should I take you home?'

I shake my head furiously, 'no. I'm not going to stand by. I want to help.'

Derek nods, and I meet his eyes a little stronger as I straighten my back.

'Let's go to the high school.' 

* * *

I turn around the corner, walking down the corridor. I've checked all classroom's but there's no sign of Stiles anywhere, and my frustration is growing rapidly. I quickly turn another corner and skip down the stairs to the boiler room, walking inside. I walk around, looking through shelves. I know Stiles said he was cold, so I know he's not here. Yet I can't help myself as I walk around, knowing that this is the place everything changed.

_I wrap my arms around my elbows, and a cold feeling settles in my stomach._

_Then Derek surfaces, a woman – I'm guessing the teacher? – is holding on to him for dear life. He's stroking her back, whispering things into her ear._

_I know I can hear them, but I force myself not to._

_I'm not the jealous type, but when I can already feel my relationship rocking, I don't feel particularly happy seeing some other woman holding on to him for dear life._

I already knew back then that we were on a rough patch, and her entrance just enhanced every doubt we'd ever had in each other. That's why everything broke – I'd love to pin the blame on Jennifer. All of it, but I know that if Derek and I had been going strong everything would have been fine. For a long time I've been blaming Derek – and he is to blame for a lot of it. But…

'Sophia?' Derek appears a few feet away, and I can tell he's being careful.

'What are you doing down here?'

'Thinking,' I answer truthfully, scratching my arm.

'You've been doing that a lot lately,' Derek murmurs, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

'There's a lot of thinking to be done,' I tell him, gliding one of my fingers over the surface of a shelf.

'Coming up with any solutions?' he asks, his tone careful. I look up, meeting his eyes with a confidence I haven't had in weeks – months, probably.

'I know I've said a lot of things – hurtful things – because I wanted to hurt you as badly as you'd hurt me. Truth is…'

I bite down on my lip, wrapping my arms around my waist. 'We weren't doing very well ever since I came back to Beacon Hills. I say you broke my trust when I caught you with Jennifer, but I know I broke your trust when I let you believe I was dead. I'm not saying I'm okay with what you did, because I'm not. I'm still holding that over you.'

Derek nods, and I take a deep breath as I start fiddling with my fingers.

'You didn't trust me anymore, and with my involvement with the Alpha Pack becoming such a big part of my life, I understand why you didn't. I wouldn't have if the tables were turned. I honestly didn't really trust you anymore either. I haven't told anyone this, but I wasn't loyal to anyone anymore. I didn't trust anyone – not even Stiles. I knew I'd broken everyone's trust, and because of that I broke my own trust. I had a back-up plan for everything. I fought to gain everyone's trust back, without trusting anyone back. Of course it didn't work – and then this place happened.'

Derek's eyes dart over to the place where he'd found Jennifer, and I notice how he struggles about what to feel.

'Thinking back I'm not surprised you fell for her,' I say, a small smile playing along my lips. Derek arches an eyebrow.

'If there's one thing I've learnt about you, it is that you're protective. I was no longer the girl you fell in love with, I was no longer a person you knew at all. I was a stranger, so you turned to someone whom you could protect. Someone who hadn't betrayed you, someone who needed you. What I'm trying to say is that I understand. I understand that I'm a significant part of this whole mess. I understand why you turned to Jennifer. It's very easy to say that you don't have a choice, but you always do. You always have a choice, and … and I'm sorry for everything I ever put you trough.'

Derek's face falls, revealing utter confusion and deep shock. I look down at my fingers, pressing my lips together.

'I never said sorry for anything I did, but I'm doing it now. I'm saying sorry, in hope that with a lot of work we can regain our trust in each other. That we can build a friendship. A good, trusting, healthy friendship. This world is simply too big, and it's too dark and it's too much without you.'

I feel my tears spilling over, and I'm finally baring my soul to him. More than anything I've missed our friendship. I could tell him anything, he was my best friend. Derek's walking towards me slowly, and I inhale a shaky breath as I continue; 'Ever since I became a werewolf I promised myself I'd never need anyone ever again. That I was strong enough to take care of myself now… I don't want to be a person that needs help… but I feel all alone.'

Derek's arms wrap around my waist, and I wrap mine around his neck, hugging him tight.

'I'm not leaving,' Derek murmurs as his arms tighten slightly. After a while we slowly break apart, and Derek meets my eyes with the same confidence I had earlier. 'And you were right, I didn't trust you. I didn't feel like I knew who you were, and I had no idea where I had you – or if I had you at all.'

I grit my teeth, the pain at his words surprising even if the words are not.

'I do know now, however, that I can trust you and I do, trust you I mean. But…'

'Not with everything,' I say, knowing exactly how he feels. He nods.

'You were the one person I could talk to about anything – I might've not always done that, but I knew that I could and I got so used to that, so that when we lost that connection things just didn't fit. It felt wrong, and I didn't know what to feel, or what to do. I want that back.'

I smile, nodding. 'I want that, too.'

We exit the boiler room together, and I close the door behind us, Derek locking it. As we walk up the stairs, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and left down there. I sigh as we get into Derek's car empty handed. I take out my phone as it beeps, and I fall back in my seat.

'They found him, he's safe,' I breathe, pushing hair out of my face. 'He's at the hospital.'

Aiden's name pops up on my phone as Derek drives back onto the road. I accept, putting him on speaker.

'You're on speaker,' I tell him, putting the phone between Derek and I.

'So do you think he was just sleep walking, or that there's something else?'

'In this town there's always something else,' I tell him, biting down on my thumb as I stare ahead onto the road.

'What if I told you I know something more?' Aiden says, and I look down at the phone, frowning.

'Then you better fucking tell me,' I sneer.

'I kinda overheard… _listened in _on Stiles talking to Scott. How he thinks _he_ was the one that wrote that message on the board in the chemistry room. The message telling Barrow to kill Kira.'

'You think _Stiles_ – skinny, defenceless _Stiles_ is the nogitsune?' Derek asks, sounding extremely amused. I press my lips together tightly.

'A powerful, dark spirit?'

'I'm not the only one thinking it,' Aiden says, and I take a deep breath, making Derek look at me. 'I'm just the only one saying it.'

'This thing wants to possess someone and it chooses Stiles?' Derek says, seeming to talk directly to me and not Aiden. 'Why not take someone bigger, stronger, you know. Someone with a little more…'

Derek's face falls as he stares blankly ahead, and I frown.

'Power,' he finishes, and quickly he ends Aiden's call before pressing the gas pedal harder, lurching me back in my seat.

'Derek?'

'Trust me,' he says, pinning me with his gaze, and I nod. 'I trust you.'

'I'm dropping you off at the hospital, and then I'm going to check something.'

'Okay…'

In record time he's pulling up beside the hospital, and I unbuckle myself. 'Keep me updated?' I ask as I get out, and Derek nods. I shut the car door behind me, and before I've turned around the car is halfway down the road, and it soon disappears around a corner.

* * *

**A/N: This has most certainly been an emotional ride for Sophia and Derek, but things seem to finally get back on track. She still hasn't forgiven him, though, but she's realised she has a part to play in how everything turned out. This could definitely be a turn for the better – but then again, I'm the writer and I still am a sucker for unhappy endings... **


	6. Chapter 6

'Here,' I mumble, handing Stiles a cup of water. He accepts it, and I lift my hand to stroke his forehead. I push my fingers through his hair, feeling hopeless.

'It's okay,' he says, setting the cup down.

I look down at him, knowing my watery eyes upset him. 'It's not okay,' I tell him, wrapping my arms around him. 'It'd not okay at all.' I feel the lump in my throat grow, and I hug him tight.

'I love you.'

'I love you, too,' he answers, his arms around my waist squeezing into a tighter hug as well. 'I'm not giving up - one way or another, I will find a way fix this. I promise.'

I release him as I plant a kiss to his forehead, and he looks up at me with such a thankful and loving gaze my tears starts to fall. I take a deep breath as I sit down beside him, and before I get the chance to wipe my tears, Stiles does it for me. As he does, more tears start to tumble, and he gives me a small smile. I quickly dry my cheeks as I hear footsteps, and soon uncle, Melissa and Scott come through the door with a doctor. Scott immediately walks over to us, taking his stand beside Stiles. The doctor takes out his patient file on Stiles as Melissa and uncle stay by his side.

I squeeze Stiles' hand, making him look to me.

'I just need to, um, check something,' I tell him with a light smile as I get up. He nods, and I turn my back to him as I hurry out of the room and into the hall.

I'm already sobbing by the time the door has closed behind me, and in the corner of my eye I see someone jump to their feet. I turn, welcoming Derek's familiar face.

'I can't lose him,' I whimper, lifting my arms and cradling them behind my head. Tears are streaming down my face again, and I feel my knees buckle beneath me. I start to fall, but feel Derek's strong arms wrap around me, keeping me from hitting the flour. I grab a hold of his leather jacket, pressing my face to his chest. He guides me over to the chairs and sit down, placing me on the chair next to him.

'We're going to figure this out,' he tells me, stroking my back affectionately. I know I look like a mess; my mascara's wiped all over my face and I've probably got snot coming out my nose. I look up, rubbing my eyes. They must look bloodshot by now.

'I don't know how,' I whisper, 'for the first time I don't know how to help.'

I don't notice my hands shaking until Derek takes them in his, and I take a deep breath.

'I feel utterly hopeless,' I whimper, and I feel Derek's hand on the back of my neck, pulling me closer. His lips press against my forehead and I close my eyes, tears still streaming down my already damp cheeks.

'No one expects you to know everything, Soph,' he whispers, but I shake my head in disagreement.

'I expect it,' I stutter, realising how cold I am. His hand is still stroking my back, and I feel his chest fall as he sighs.

His touch disappears, and I sit up straight as I watch him remove his jacket. He proceeds to wrap it around my shoulder, and I grab the hem of both sides with my hands, holding it in place.

'Thank you,' I tell him as I dry my nose with the back of my hand. He hands me a tissue as his lips form a small smile. I accept the tissue with gratitude, wiping my face and blowing my nose. He's still staring at me, and I toss the tissue in the bin next to me before I slip my arms into the selves of his jacket, sipping it up all the way. I look down at myself, knowing full well I'm drowning. My thoughts are confirmed when I look back up and meeting Derek's amused gaze.

'I look fabulous, just admit it,' I say, lifting my chin.

Derek breaks into a grin, making me smile through my heartache.

My gaze shifts to the door behind Derek as it opens again, and Scott appears. He walks over to a chair, sitting down opposite Derek.

Derek turns to look at me, and I realise what he's asking me.

'I'll go get some coffee,' I say as I get up, still wearing Derek's leather jacket. I make my way down the hall, not sure where my mind is taking me. There is so much going on, and just the thought of losing Stiles – in any way – is damaging. It probably sounds insane, as I haven't lived here for much of my life, but ever since I came here, Stiles has made me feel normal and he's always been there for me. To imagine a life without him feels … empty. I've had enough of feeling empty lately. I grab a couple of cups from the stand and pour black coffee in them, rubbing my forehead to extinguish the building headache. I return, not sure what else to do, and hand the boys each their cup of coffee.

Derek and Scott's seating positions are identical as they both rest their elbows on their knees, now holding a cup of steaming black coffee in between their hands. I sit down in the chair next to Derek, crossing my legs Indian style, pulling the sleeves of Derek's leather jacket down over my hands making only my fingers poke out. I can't help but notice how flaky and ruined they look, but I guess they aren't exactly my highest priority right now.

'You know the stuff you were telling me about chemo signals earlier?' says Scott, meeting Derek's gaze full on. Derek nods, and Scott continues; 'it reminded me of the time you were teaching me to use anger to control the shift.'

'I think you ended up teaching me more about that,' Derek answers, a small smile playing along his lips.

'You teaching me again?' Scott asks after a short silence.

'Think of it more like, sharing a few in-trade secrets,' Derek answers, and Scott nods slightly.

'You know I took Cora back to South America, right?' Derek says, to which I react with eyebrows arched impressively high.

'_He_ knows but you couldn't tell me?' I ask, slightly offended.

'It's where she spent most of her time after the fire,' Derek explains, before switching his glance to me; 'and we weren't exactly on the best of terms when you came by that day, so I decided not to tell you because I know what you hate the most in this world is not knowing.'

'You know me too well,' I mutter, looking black down at my hands. While staring at them, Derek's hand comes into whew and takes one of them, giving it a squeeze, making me smile a little.

'But that's not the only reason I left,' Derek confesses, and I look up as he retracts his hand.

'I needed to talk to my mother.'

'Your _dead_ mother?' Scott asks, and I lick my lips.

'What he said,' I add, feeling slightly worried.

'She told me something that changed my perspective, about a lot of things,' he says, ignoring our comments, something he's really good at, by the way.

'She said my family didn't just live in Beacon Hills, they protected it. This town needs someone to protect it – someone like you,' he tells Scott, and I cock my head slightly as I look between them.

'And someone like you to teach me a few in-trade secrets,' Scott answers, making Derek smile.

I'm such a loser, but I can't help but feel proud. When everything started there was so much tension between everyone, especially between Scott and Derek, and there was no way these two trusted each other. Now they remind me of brothers, and I try to hide my sheepish smile by scratching my nose.

I snap back as Scott stands up quickly, looking distraught.

'He's trying to protect us,' he says, and I frown. 'Stiles was _protecting us_.'

'From himself,' Derek agrees, and I'll admit I'm half-way to the stairs before either of the guys react.

By the time we reach the roof, we're all shaking with adrenaline.

'What are we looking for?' Derek asks.

'I'm not sure,' Scott answers, 'but I Stiles wasn't just up here struggling with himself, I think he was struggling _not_ to do something.'

We all spread out, looking for any clue. I close in on the little area that's enclosed with a huge sign that's got DANGER written on it. I hop on top of a box in front of it and climb on top, staring down at something before my feet.

'Guys,' I call out, looking up as they both approach me.

I grab the bag and throw it down, all the tools falling out.

I straighten back up, looking around before my eyes fall on a cord hanging before my face, small sparks coming from it. Someone's been tampering with it, and as I turn back around, I can tell they've both noticed as well.

'We need to get out of here,' Derek says, giving me a look that tells me to get down immediately. I bend down to jump off as he and Scott turns their backs, but before I get the chance to jump, the electrical cabinet below me blows up, spitting sparks and I feel it burn my skin. I scream out in pain as I fall off the cage and onto the roof, my back hitting the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of me.

A pair of arms grabs onto me and pulls me away as we're showered with more sparks. As I get my breathing under control, the sparks stop. Unfortunately, the cable is no longer attached to anything, and is flying through the air without control.

'Are you okay?' Scott asks as Derek helps me back onto my feet, and I nod.

'Yeah,' I say as I stretch out my arms to look at them. It seems the leather protected it, and I wonder where the hell Derek got it. My jeans that were new and without a single scratch, however, does now have multiple holes in them, and within every hole in burnt skin.

'Thankfully, it'll heal. Besides, we have a bigger problem,' I sigh as I look to the cable flying in the air behind us, and we all have to retreat as it lunges towards us. I duck, watching it closely as it retracts, before going over the edge.

'Come on, we have to get down there!' I say as I hurry towards the door, both of them right behind me.

* * *

I'm running as fast as I can, trying to understand the scene unfolding before me.

'_Sophia!_' I hear Derek shout and I come to a halt, noticing the cable lying in a pool of water that's making its way toward me. I take a few steps back, noticing Kira standing amidst everything, without the electrified water hurting her. She even seems to be controlling the cable as it floats in the air, completely stable.

She reaches out and grabs it, and for some reason she manages to hold on to it as if it's nothing. She places another hand over the sparks, her eyes glowing golden as she extinguishes the cable's power, dropping it to the ground.

Derek immediately runs to Isaac, and I follow after him. Derek bends down before Isaac, and his face grows paler.

'He's not breathing,' he whispers, and his gaze meets mine.

'Scott!' he shouts as I roll Isaac over to me, trying to get some life back in him.

'He's not breathing!'

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait, I've had some stuff happening on the personal level of everything, so I haven't been able to update with anything. I finally managed to scrape this together though, but as the final has already come and gone (I have still not recovered), I've also come to learn a few things about series 4 from the one and only Jeff Davis. One of the things is that Derek is getting a new love interest in series 4, which basically had me going "OMG CAN I NOT CATCH A BREAK?" as I've just started repairing things after Jennifer. So my question is; do you want me to keep to the plot of series 4 and have Derek paired with whomever this is (Jeff promised she's not a wacko), or do you want me to continue with what I've got planned? I'm truly torn on this, so I would very much appreciate your help!**


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